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Police investigating swastika painted on Salem town common

SALEM, Mass. (AP) — Police in Salem are searching for two teenagers who drew a swastika on the bandstand on the town common.

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll said in a statement Monday that the graffiti was painted sometime over the weekend and that town police were reviewing surveillance camera footage that captured images of the vandals.

She said the crime was particularly offensive because she says “Salem” is derived from “shalom,” the Hebrew word for peace.

Police Lt. Marc Berube told The Salem News that the suspects appear to be about 12 to 13 years old based on the surveillance video. The symbol was painted in blue on a column of the bandstand Thursday afternoon while schools across the state were on spring break.

It has since been removed by public works officials.

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